While Monday looked ominous weatherwise, Tuesday was a great contrast with the sun shining brightly throughout.

According to curator PR Viswanathan, the pitch will be a typical Chennai surface with good bounce. "It is hard, which should aid the batsmen initially. The spinners will come into play as the match progresses."

His opinion was shared by Indian skipper Anil Kumble, who had a long look at the pitch. "It looks a good surface, a typical Chennai wicket. It will have good bounce and carry," said Kumble. The leg-spinner ruled out the moisture factor under such extreme heat.

Kumble's South African counterpart Graeme Smith predicted that the pitch will help spinners at some stage, though he maintained that the visitors would go in with just one spinner.

Viswanathan was a happy man as the rain didn't hamper the preparation of the pitch. "It's good the rain has stayed away, but then we were prepared for any eventuality. Even if it rains heavily, I can ensure that we will get the ground ready in an hour's time," he said, pointing to the excellent drainage facilities the ground boasts now, upgraded since the Sri Lanka Test in December 2005.